Delhi: 'Study pressure and...': 17-year-old JEE aspirant commits suicide for not clearing exams, leaves note for parents

A 17-year-old girl in New Delhi, who was preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), reportedly died by suicide after not passing the exam for top engineering colleges, police said on Saturday.

The Class 12 student reportedly left a note asking her parents to forgive her for not being able to pass the JEE exam.

“Yesterday, at 11:25 hrs, a PCR call regarding a girl aged 17, jumping off the roof of the 7th floor of a building in Okhla main market was received at PS Jamia Nagar. She was preparing for JEE after clearing the 12th class. She has left a suicide note citing study pressure and not meeting expectations as a reason. Proceedings under 194 BNSS are underway,” the Delhi Police said.

The incident happened just three days after a second-year Master’s student from IIT Delhi reportedly died by suicide on Tuesday night. Police said the student had visited the campus hospital earlier that day and was receiving psychiatric treatment.

A senior police officer reported receiving a call about the incident at 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The student, originally from Jharkhand, was found in his hostel room, which was inspected by the mobile crime team; no suicide note was discovered. The officer noted that, according to the student's medical records, he had been receiving psychiatric treatment and visited the IIT hospital earlier that morning. He had also scheduled an appointment with his psychiatrist for October 29.

“The Institute is deeply saddened by the unfortunate and untimely demise of a student of MSc...The Delhi Police is investigating the unfortunate incident that took place on the campus on October 22, 2024. We express our deepest condolences to the student’s family and friends. The Institute is doing everything it can to support his family in this hour of grief. IIT Delhi is fully committed to ensuring the mental and physical well-being of its students," IIT administration said in a statement.

Police reported that, based on accounts from the student’s friends, no foul play is suspected. This incident marks the fifth suicide at IIT Delhi since 2023 and the second this year. In February, a final-year MTech student also reportedly died by suicide, though his parents had raised concerns of possible foul play.

Police classified the case as a suicide, but the parents suspected foul play and requested IIT to take action against the student’s advisor and senior.